Shoe protector



May l5, 1951 N, J, WATTS 2,552,700

SHOE PROTECTOR Filed 00T.. 26, 1949 In'wnlor MM2@ J. mais M Pff. W

Attorney Patented May 15, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT QFFIiCE/ 2,552,700

SHOE PROTECTOR Norma J .,Watts, Colfax, Calif. Application October 26, 1949,SeriaI1N'o. 123,573

(Cl.l 3,6-72

This invention relates to a novel shoe protector or protective covering for the toe portion of" a shoe and more particularly to a coveringadapted to be detachably applied over the toe of-a babys shoe to protect the toe of the shoe from being soiled or scuffed when the infant creeps or crawls.

More particularly, it is the primary object of the present invention to provide a protector of extremely simple construction which may be quickly and easily applied to or removed from a position over the toe of a babys shoe and which is provided with elastic means for engagement under the forward portion of the shoe sole and which is so arranged as to exert a substantially uniform pull at approximately even spaced points on the protector or covering to retain the covering in a properly applied position and to prevent the covering from being displaced from its correctly applied position as a result of frictional pull exerted thereon as the baby creeps or `crawls and the lcovering is dragged over a floor, rug or other surface.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter become more fully apparent from the following description of the drawing, illustrating a preferred embodiment thereof, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view showing the shoe protector in an applied position;

Figure 2 is a cross sectional view of the protector taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 2-2 of Figure l, with the shoe removed;

Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional View thereof taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 3 3 of Figure 2, and

Figure 4 is a bottom plan View of the protector.

Referring more specifically to the drawing, the shoe or toe protector in its entirety is designated generally 5 and comprises a strip 6 forming a toe covering and having a `curvilinear bottom edge I which is adapted to conform generally to the curvature of the edge of the forward part of a shoe sole, and a substantially straight back edge 8 which is upwardly bowed. The bottom edge portion of the toe covering 6 is enclosed in a fabric tape 9 which is folded lengthwise into channel-shaped form in cross section to receive said bottom edge and which is secured thereto preferably by two substantially parallel rows of stitching I'0. The rear edge 8 is similarly contained in a binding formed by a longitudinally folded tape II which is likewise stitched thereto by two rows of stitching Ill. The covering 6 may be formed of a Washable fabric or of various leather, plastic or other flexible material.

An` elastic strap I2. extends-transversely tolthe,` underside of the covering 6: and has its ends. exe

tendingiinto opposite portions'of thefol'ded binding 'I and stitched thereto internally and eX- ternally of the binding, as seen in Figure 2, by the rows of stitching I il connecting said binding 9 to the covering 6 so that the tape I2 will be disposed with its plane substantially parallel to the bottom folded edge of the binding l. An elastic tape I3 is folded upon itself intermediate of its ends and so that the end portions thereof will be disposed to form a V, as illustrated in Figure 4. The folded intermediate portion of the tape or band I3 is stitched as seen at I 4 to the intermediate portion of the elastic band or strap I2 and the terminals are secured to the binding l by the stitching IIJ in the same manner that the ends of the band I2 are secured to said binding and as previously described, so that the elastic strap I3 will likewise be disposed substantially in the same plane as the bottom, folded edge of the binding tape 1. As seen in Figure 4, it will be readily apparent that the ends of the elastic straps I2 and I3 which are secured to the binding 9 are disposed substantially equal distances apart, for a purpose which will hereinafter become apparent.

An elastic heel engaging strap I5 is secure-d by stitching I6 at its ends to the inner side of the binding I I adjacent the ends thereof.

The shoe protector 5 is applied to an infants shoe I1, illustrated in Figure l, by inserting the toe portion of the shoe into the covering 6 so that the elastic straps I2 and I3 will be disposed under the forward portion of the shoe sole and the heel engaging strap I5 is then stretched and engaged around the heel of the shoe, as illustrated in Figure 1. The elastic straps I2, I3 and I5 will combine to retain the covering 6 in position over the toe of the shoe and said covering with the binding strips applied is of suiiicient size so that the binding strip 9 will extend slightly below the edge of the shoe sole and will be drawn inwardly of the underside of the shoe sole adjacent the forward end thereof by the ends of the strap I3 and laterally inwardly at the sides of the shoe sole by the elastic strap I2 which straps will thereby combine with the heel engaging strap I5 to hold the covering 6 over the upperside of the toe of the shoe and to prevent it from being displaced from its position as illustrated in Figure 1 by the frictional pull applied thereto as the baby wearing the shoe creeps or crawls over a floor, rug or other surface. It will be readily apparent that a protector 5 is applied to each of the shoes'of a.`

baby and will function to prevent the toes of the shoes from being scuied or soiled while the baby,

portion of a shoe and to overlie a portion of the shoe sole, and a plurality of elastic straps adapted to be disposed beneath the .shoe sole and secured at their ends to the toe covering adjacent its bottom edge, said elastic straps being joined together at a point substantially intermediate of their ends and being of a length to be stretched when applied to a babys shoe.

2. A shoe protector as in claim 1, the ends of.

said elastic straps being secured to the toe covering substantially equally spaced distances apart.

3. A shoe protector as in claim 1, and an elastic heel engaging strap secured at its ends to said covering adjacent its lower rear corners and adapted to be disposed under tension around the heel of the shoe.

' Y NORMA J. WATTS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the lle of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date D. 97,524 Geayer Nov. 19, 1935 461,492 Browning Oct. 20, 1891 1,326,542 `Stebor E Dec. 30, 1919 2,229,563 Greenstein Jan. 21, 1941 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Y Country Date 14,682 Great Britain Aug, 4, 1904 of 1904 Y 

